Chapter 55
Everyone's gaze except Ishia who was meditating gathered on Shin Gayeon. But as if that didn't matter, her blue eyes were sparkling while looking at me.
She put both hands under her face and looked up. What was this pose called again.
"What?!"
Swish swish.
For some reason I had the illusion of seeing a swaying tail, ah. This is that. A pet dog waiting for treats─
"The conditions for being a maid are simple. First you have to be pretty. You need to have looks that can satisfy a human like Lee Seonghoon."
The damn blonde beside me said whatever she wanted. What is she saying. Of course she's pretty. But aren't these guys main characters?
No one watches if an ugly main character appears. That's just how it happened. It's not my taste.
I looked at Shin Gayeon with that meaning, but she had already looked over Raphael and Sophia once.
Then her face became dejected. Her confident face from earlier was gone and she became a drooping puppy, burying her head in the ground.
Seems she thinks she can't match up to Sophia and Raphael.
SMACK─!!!
"Aaah!!!"
I hit the blonde who said unnecessary things. I don't look at faces originally, and even if I did Shin Gayeon is plenty good enough, but let's use this now.
"So that's how it is. If you understand─"
"Do you only accept natural beauties?"
What is she saying now?
"I-I may not compare to those people!! But I was often told I'm pretty growing up?!"
She even spouts words like if you want I can get plastic surgery─!! I said I look at faces but would I accept plastic surgery? She's pretty from the start?!
I looked at Shin Gayeon's determined face. It seemed like she would dash out of Justitia right now ignoring ranking battles and everything and run to a plastic surgery clinic in Gangnam.
Stop. Gangnam is a sea of fire now. Mainly because of me.
"No. No."
I grabbed her shoulders. She screamed something like Eek!! but I ignored it.
I have to stop her. Right now. If I leave her alone thinking this is great, it was obvious she'd appear with plastic surgery a week later.
This is someone who came happily even when I cursed while planting her in the ground. The possibility is very high.
Then what happens. I get my life threatened by Shin Chaeyeon.
Therefore I have no choice.
"Shin Gayeon."
"Y-yes!!"
"You're plenty pretty so don't do strange things."
Please. Please.
"....What?"
The damn blue-haired one turned her ear this way as if she heard wrong. There's a question mark floating above her head.
"I didn't hear well, can you say it again?"
"I said you're pretty so don't do strange things."
"!!!!"
The question mark changed to an exclamation mark, then she shook off my hand and stepped back.
That hurts. Damn.
"R-really?"
"Yeah. So. Please don't do strange things."
Though I couldn't see her face well since she was far, I could see her nodding. Good. I prevented the bad ending.
Now how do I drop her─
"Then can I be a maid now?!"
"That's not it."
"Huh? But you said I'm pretty─"
That's that. This is this. I thought of a way to make this positive blue-haired one fall away.
***
"Is this all you thought of?"
The damn blonde holding popcorn and cola in both hands said while saying that. Her expression was completely like this will be fun.
Yet she says this. Is there a filter on your mouth?
[Me too. I think it will be fun too meow.]
The damn cat walking around outside in human form for the first time in a while is also making her eyes sparkle. This one isn't even holding cola, just popcorn in both hands.
Are you kidding? Don't you know popcorn is more expensive?
Ishia is meditating in her original spot so I paid for everything. If only Sophia had come along. I left Ishia supervision to her so it's completely my share. This month's God's bank account is almost empty.
By the way, I've been given a restraining order from Ishia.
Even earlier before coming here she briefly used "Magic Chant Breaking" again but when I approached excitedly it stopped working again.
According to Ishia. 'It seems like it's not working because of you. Don't come close.'
She says. This hurts a bit. It's a wound to my heart. I'm telling you it hurts when someone tells you not to come close no matter who it is.
"Think about your usual conduct. Did she get trauma?"
If it's that then I have nothing to say. Is this that? The perpetrator doesn't remember? I don't think I did anything particularly wrong.
[It's a problem if you don't know even if you don't know meow.]
Are you two the duo of advancing pay? Do you have a talent for making people speechless every time you open your mouths? Just like that? Did you only practice that while sticking together lately?
Anyway, I sucked the food of those sitting on both sides of me into my inventory and to explain.
─Ah? Give it back!! What are you doing!!
─This is an unfair procedure meow. You can't do this just because you don't like it meow!!
─Lachesis. I think this is that. Popcorn tastes better when infused with mana right? Isn't it that? It's tsundere. He's doing this for us but it's embarrassing to say so he's acting like this.
─I didn't know that meow.
Shut up. Really. I can't even speak. I pushed the heads of the two chattering noisily on either side of me to make them sit in their original seats.
To explain again setting that aside.
We've come to watch the ranking battle now. If this doesn't work and that doesn't work there's only one way.
No choice but to make her feel her powerlessness and leave.
This is someone who smiled and accepted no matter what trash things I did. A way to drop such a person.
"Ah. She's coming out there."
As Raphael said, when I moved my gaze there was the positive blue-haired one waving her hand. Towards here. Straight on.
On the opposite side of the blue-haired one, a person was walking out.
Messy brown hair, a cat eye patch on his neck, half-closed eyes, nothing in his hands.
[Oh, student Oh Seungjin. No weapon?]
At that question his half-sunken eyes opened a bit more. Then he looked around and slowly walked down towards the prepared armory.
He pointed at the spear hanging at the very front among them then slowly climbed back up towards the arena.
Anyone could see he just casually pointed at anything. But he gestured to the announcer as if it was fine, then looked at empty space with half-closed eyes.
"Wow. He's even hitting blanks. Is that person really strong?"
It's a natural question. Well because anyone can see he has zero motivation and looks sleepy.
But when he enters the fight, no one can beat that guy. Inside Justitia that is.
[Then we'll start. 5─!!!]
While hearing the countdown I gave the popcorn back to those whining to give it back and looked at the arena.
The blue-haired one still smiling brightly looking this way during the countdown. She might even blow a kiss at this rate.
Oh Seungjin's ranking is 210. Shin Gayeon's ranking is 220.
Neither of them have skills matching those rankings. It's because of the common point that they're not interested in rankings.
Shin Gayeon is more interested in other things.
Oh Seungjin is just sleepy.
Perhaps because of such reasons, Shin Gayeon took my words at face value. It must have been confidence that she could definitely win if she fought someone in the 200 rank range.
But what can we do. The opponent is Oh Seungjin.
It's simple. I said I'd accept her as a maid if she fights and wins against the opponent I designated. And that opponent is Oh Seungjin.
"There's no way she can win."
"Why? I think Shin Gayeon will win."
I snickered at Raphael's words as she stuffed popcorn in her mouth like a hamster.
"It's absolutely impossible."
If she loses she'll acknowledge defeat and leave on her own right. I'm really a genius after all. Hahaha! As I smiled like that, a voice was heard from beside me.
"Aren't you a devil? Want to be friends with Asmodeus?"
Shut up.
***
'I have to win no matter what.'
Shin Gayeon waved her hand hard towards Lee Seonghoon who was looking at her intently.
The reason she was obsessed with him was quite simple. Because he's a strong person.
There's a saying she's been sick of hearing since long ago.
─Since you were born a woman in our family. It's your duty to bring in a strong man as a son-in-law.
Such words. She hated it when young. She often said things like 'I'll marry someone I like!!' and got hit for it.
But as her head gradually hardened. After understanding her family, and knowing this strong physical ability and magic power she has are the sacrifices of her ancestors, her thoughts changed.
Let's bring in a strong person as a son-in-law.
Then she met him. Could it be fate.
A strong person who could erase the mercury ball created by her vast magic power going out of control in one strike.
Plus the skill to perfectly catch her in the water spray. It was an indescribable strength.
Yet when a rainbow spread out as he said things like hello.
Shin Gayeon felt it. That this is fate. That the prince on a white horse she's longed for since childhood has come.
The longing for marriage that hadn't completely disappeared from her heart burned up again.
The conditions were perfect too. If she catches this person, she can marry someone she likes, and marry a strong person her family wants.
So she used somewhat extreme methods to find out where they meet and waited.
This is the result.
If she just wins this match, she can become his maid.
'Love starting from being a maid.'
Love that eventually overcomes the difference in status. How beautiful.
Shin Gayeon's sea-like eyes look at her opponent. A will that she absolutely can't lose dwells in them. It dwelled but.
Would it be life if everything in the world went as you wanted.
[Start!!!!]
Along with the loud whistle sound she gripped her sword, but he's gone.
"Huh?"
The opponent isn't where he should be. She tried to look around in surprise, but a dull impact was already applied to her back.
"Ugh?!"
While enduring the strong impact that made her think something broke, she turned around to see a man yawning.
'What is this.'
She couldn't understand. Her cognition couldn't keep up with the situation. Shin Gayeon is a child of a prestigious swordsmanship family.
She's lived her whole life holding a sword. Though she has some slow aspects, she's more serious than anyone when holding a sword.
Yet he grabbed her back at a speed even her eyes couldn't follow.
And he's even yawning leisurely? She wanted to dismiss it as luck. It must have been a coincidence. But she couldn't.
She wasn't the type of person who could dismiss others' skills as coincidence.
"It's troublesome so. Let's end this quickly."
"No─"
Thud─!!
A fierce attack continuing without even time to answer. This time he didn't even move back. The fierce spear attacks pouring from the front were hard to even dodge.
Parrying was all she could do. She was barely even parrying so she allowed some attacks and got hit on her shoulders and abdomen.
It's amazing. He was amazingly strong, but what made her doubt her eyes was something else.
'Is this his first time using a spear?'
As if he doesn't know how to use a spear, he keeps fixing his grip while tilting his head. Moreover he's been attacking with the shaft part instead of the blade since earlier.
"Ah. I should hit with the blade part."
With those words he changes the direction of the spear. He aims the blade, tilts his head. Then takes a perfect stance.
"Is this how you do it?"
Clang─!!!!
A perfect thrust coming before the words even reached her ears, she barely reacted and blocked it, but it was strange.
She clearly blocked it but the trajectory suddenly twisted and the spear's blade gave a dull impact to her abdomen.
"This is how you do it right."
It was natural for her to fall to her knees. If this wasn't a practice blade, Shin Gayeon's abdomen would be pierced by now.
"It's over right? I'm going?"
No. She has magic. If she recovers her body with magic and fights again─
"Huh?"
"Magic isn't allowed."
Magic won't work. What did he do. No matter how much she creates techniques and infuses magic power, magic won't work.
Her pupils shake. Along with Oh Seungjin's hand waving as if it's over.
She releases magic power. If it's silent incantation magic. If it's a lump of water magic power.
Shin Gayeon can recover on water.
She just tried to create water. Silent incantation water.
But it didn't come out.
'Why won't it work?'
If it's stronger magic power? If it's stronger magic? She squeezes out magic power.
An anomaly occurring to her who struggled like that for a while is a natural progression in a way.
Magic outburst.
A phenomenon normal people might experience only 1-2 times in their life.
A phenomenon where magic power in the body goes out of control and leaks out.
The reasons are classified into 2.
One is when overwhelmingly large magic power can't be discharged and keeps circling inside the body.
Two is when excessively infused magic power backflows during magic casting.
Most magicians don't experience the second. Because they know the upper limit.
But Shin Gayeon is a swordsman. A woman who does magic as a hobby.
Water envelops her body. Magic power that escaped from her body sticks all over and binds her.
Her vision darkens and surrounding sounds become distant. Though she can't see well, she saw. Though she can't hear well, she heard.
─It's over. Can I go?
─What should we do?!
─Don't touch it. Starting with the person inside!!
No one can touch her. Well because the person inside could be harmed if touched wrongly. They can't even attack rashly.
'Is it this again.'
She's had outbursts often, but it was her first time in front of so many people. It's embarrassing. She wants to hide. It felt like her shame was being revealed to the world. Someone end this situation quickly.
While having such thoughts.
She saw something approaching. She could only see the silhouette since it was far, but she could clearly hear the sound.
─Ah this is so annoying. Really.
─Seonghoon. You said it before right? When people make mistakes they have to take responsibility!
─I know. I know. Ah geez. Will this be heard? It probably won't be heard?
─How would I know.
─I told you not to bother me!! You crazy bitch!! Hah. That feels better.
─Wow... What if she hears.
─What if she hears. What will you say to the person saving you. Tell her to say thank you one more time.
After the argument ended, there was only one sound heard. A refreshing and cool sound.
It was just the sound of the mercury ball bursting.